STABBING_058_LH_.JPG Fifteen-year-old Loren Schaller (middle) was stabbed on May 19 at a Twin Peaks bakery, in a random attack by a man paroled the day before from San Quentin Prison, finding his way from a bus stop in San Rafael to a bakery on Twin Peaks. Her parents, Tim Schaller (left) and Linda Schaller (right) are with her at home. We visit three months later at Loren's home and undergoing physical therapy to try to restore the use of her right arm.
Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle/San Francisco/9/1/07
**Loren Schaller, Tim Schaller, Linda Schaller cq Ran on: 11-01-2007
Loren Schaller, 15, was stabbed in the head, wrist, leg, back and neck -- including her jugular vein -- and lost the use of her right arm in a brutal attack May 19 at a San Francisco bakery.

A series of extraordinary blunders led to the unsupervised release of a high-security inmate from San Quentin State Prison who went on to stab and nearly kill a 15-year-old girl in a Twin Peaks bakery, according to a scathing report released Wednesday by the state Office of the Inspector General.

In a detailed look at the inner workings of the state's beleaguered prison system, the investigation found mistakes by staff members at every level, from processing clerks at San Quentin and Alameda County to the parole division in Los Angeles County.

"Had they followed the policies, this man would not have committed this crime against the girl in San Francisco," Morgan said.

Scott Thomas, 26, a career criminal who was designated "high control" because he had battered a guard at another prison, was paroled from San Quentin on the evening of Friday, May 18. The next day, he repeatedly stabbed teenager Loren Schaller in a neighborhood bakery in San Francisco and also stabbed a 60-year-old man who came to her rescue.

The inspector general made 21 recommendations as a result of its investigation, most involving improved training and discipline of staff. The office also plans an audit of a representative sample of inmates' records to determine whether such oversights are the exception or the norm. And the office will conduct a follow-up audit to determine whether changes and improvements have been made.

"It is vital that San Quentin and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation take steps to prevent the policy breaches that prompted this inappropriate release," said Inspector General Matthew Cate.

Terry Thornton, spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections, said San Quentin's warden called for an investigation immediately after the attack, began providing remedial training to those who were involved and is considering disciplinary action.

"We don't dispute the findings of this report," Thornton said.

She noted that San Quentin paroles 400 to 500 inmates a month. "There are understaffing and overcrowding issues. But we have checklists. We have systems. People have to do their job."

The blunders that led to the release began on the morning of May 18, when the Alameda County Sheriff's Office alerted San Quentin that it had a warrant for an inmate named Steven Thomas but mistakenly gave Scott Thomas' identification number. Then, San Quentin handed over Scott Thomas, even though he was of a different race - he is white, and the other man is black - 16 years younger and 40 pounds lighter than the actual subject of the warrant.

Released to the custody of Alameda County, Scott Thomas was returned to San Quentin later that day after county staff members realized they had the wrong inmate because he was of a different race.

"San Quentin released the wrong inmate (Scott Thomas) to Alameda County and risked releasing to the community the inmate (Steve Thomas) who was the actual subject of the warrant," the report found.

Next, San Quentin officials who received Scott Thomas back wrongly determined that he was supposed to be paroled. They hastily released him, even though he wasn't due to be released for another week, until May 26. He was given $132 and dropped that night at the San Rafael bus station, where he purchased a ticket to San Francisco.

"The correctional counselor who authorized the release of (Scott) Thomas failed to identify notices in Thomas' file clearly indicating his high control status, as well as other information that should have prohibited his release to the nearby community," the report found.

High-control inmates must be released to another institution or to the custody of a parole agent. Such high-risk inmates also cannot be released on a Friday, according to prison policy.

Finally, the report found fault with Thomas' parole agent in Los Angeles County, where his most recent petty theft and vandalism offenses had been committed. The agent failed to contact San Quentin 30 days prior to the scheduled release to detail a plan for parole, as is required.

The Schaller family is reminded daily of the failures by prison staff members.

Loren Schaller, who had ventured into the bakery on a Saturday afternoon, was stabbed in the head, wrist, leg, back and neck - including her jugular vein. She has lost the use of her right arm and undergoes physical therapy four times a week. In early October, the family traveled to St. Louis Children's Hospital, where she underwent a 91/2-hour nerve-transfer surgery.

Linda Schaller said that if her daughter's surgery is successful, Loren should get some muscle movement in late January - around her 16th birthday.

"People say to me, 'At least the guy is locked away forever,' and I say, 'Well, who knows? Mistakes were made before. I don't know if he's locked away forever. He was accidentally released before. Who's to say he won't be accidentally released again?' "

Online resources

To see the report on Scott Thomas' release, go to the Office of the Inspector General's Web site: